Kigali, Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Paul Kagame has said Rwanda, like other countries on the African continent, was keen to convert its favourable demographics into economic growth and prosperity. Speaking at the opening on Tuesday of the three-day global 41st Annual World Tourism Conference organized by the Africa Trade Association in …
Read More »All set for Kwita Izina, gorilla-naming celebration in Rwanda
Kwita Izina ceremony set for September 1 Kigali, Rwanda | GORILLAFUND.ORG | Naming infant mountain gorillas has become an important annual nationwide tradition in Rwanda since 2004. The naming ceremony, called Kwita Izina and organized by the Rwandan Development Board, is based on a historic Rwandan cultural practice for naming …
Read More »Vule Airways set to take off at Entebbe International Airport
But can the carrier survive with its low cost flights in East Africa and beyond? Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA |A low-cost carrier, Vule Airways, is set to fly out of Entebbe International Airport starting November subject to regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Authority. Robert Mwesigwa, the co-founder and …
Read More »Fewer buyers for S.Africa’s first online rhino horn, organiser
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s first online auction of rhino horn — held his week amid outrage from conservationists — attracted fewer buyers than anticipated, lawyers for the organiser said Saturday. John Hume, owner of the world’s largest rhino farm, organised the controversial three-day selloff which ended on …
Read More »RWANDA: Bisate lodge opens
Offers man and gorilla a touch of luxury |Anne Quito| The most glamorous mountain gorilla “education center” has opened in Rwanda. Built in a remnant of an old volcano crater, the Bisate Lodge offers guests the opportunity to learn about the critically endangered apes in their natural habitat, while staying …
Read More »South Africa online rhino horn auction delayed by two days
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A controversial online auction of rhino horn set to open Monday has been delayed by two days after a legal challenge delayed the South African permit for the sale, the organisers announced. Outraged conservationists say the three-day auctoin could undermine the global ban on rhino …
Read More »URA impounds ivory from Egyptian diplomat
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on August 17 displayed 65 kilograms of ivory they say they impounded from a one, Hussein Elhusseiny, an Egyptian national. Vincent Seruma, the assistant commissioner for corporate and public affairs, told reporters at the URA headquarters on Thursday that Elhusseiny, …
Read More »Fed up with mass tourism, Europe’s hotspots take away the welcome mat
Barcelona, Spain | AFP |“Never again a summer like this”: Exasperated with the hordes of visitors they blame for making their city unliveable, Barcelona residents have risen in protest. The hugely popular Catalan metropolis has become the latest European hotspot to eye tourism with hostility. From the romantic canals of …
Read More »Guam tourism sees silver lining in North Korean threats
Hagatna, United States | AFP | Tourism-dependent Guam is looking to cash in on its new-found fame as a North Korean missile target, tapping an unlikely promotional opportunity to attract visitors to the idyllic island and prove that all publicity is good publicity. Pyongyang’s threats to launch four missile strikes near …
Read More »Saudi billionaire to invest $800 mln in Egypt tourism
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is to invest more than $800 million in hotels in Egypt, the investment ministry in Cairo said on Monday. The announcement came after parliament in May adopted a new law aimed at attracting foreign investment as the authorities seek …
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